4SS ox THE FEMORAL GLAND OF ORK [THOPdlVXCHrS, 



considered it extremely probable that the toxic properties, if any, 

 of the glands might be due to proteoses (albmnoses) also. We 

 accordingly requested our friend Dr. G. Elliott Smith, who had 

 heard of the slaughter of some Platypi by a friend of his up 

 country, to express the contents of the ducts and glands into a 

 liottle of strong alcohol, whereby all the albuminous constituents 

 would be precipitated. This Dr. Smith very kindly did for us. 

 The glands and ducts were carefully dissected out and a ligature 

 applied to the periperal end of each duct, and the whole removed. 

 The ducts, which were distended with secretion, were then cut 

 just above the ligature, and by gentle pressure the larger alveoli 

 of the glands and the ducts were emptied of their secretion. 



Three pairs of glands were treated in this way, the litjuid 

 expressed being limpid and opalescent. The strength of the 

 alcohol used was 92%. We received the bottle containing the 

 alcohol and precipitated secretion four days later. The precipitate 

 was separated from the alcohol by filtration and dried at 40° C. 

 and powdered. We obtained in this way a little less than -4 

 gramme of a pearl}'- white powder, which was in large part soluble 

 in water and dilute saline solutions, forming a slightly opalescent 

 liquid. 



This solution, which we found to contain the active substance 

 of the secretion, was neutral in reaction and behaved in the 

 following manner with reagents : — 



(1) Warming with nitric acid and subsequent addition of 



ammonia - orange colouration (xanthoproteic reaction). 



(2) On addition of Millon's reagent, it gave the usual proteid 



reaction. 



(3) Heating (after previous acidulation with acetic acid) 



produced a turbidity between 75° and 80° C. At about 

 80' C. a considerable flocculent precipitate came down. 

 This was filtered off, and the filtrate found to still contain 

 a small quantity of proteid, as it gave a biuret reaction. 



(4) With caustic potash and a trace of copper sulphate a 



violet biuret reaction was obtained. 



